On a mild morning in May that is full of singing birds and blooming flowers, a student in the midst of musing over their final semester approaches Bessey Hall and takes a deep breath. Heading up the pathway to the back entrance, they stop to look at their surroundings, enchanted by the scenic changes. Instead of going inside, they step off the pathway into the round and spacious courtyard seating area beside the building. Their nose is filled with the scent of lavender as they choose a bench and pull out a copy of their commencement speech to pass the time. Behind them on the backrest is a braille plaque which reads, “RCPD, Maximizing Ability and Opportunity, Building Community, Growing Success." This space is the rebirth of opportunity. As they ponder graduation, and the start of a career, they reflect on all that MSU has become: home.
Michigan State University is an institution that strives for diversity and inclusion both at home and abroad.
With the help of the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities and an MSU Creating Inclusive Excellence Grant, one recent MSU graduate was able to contribute to these efforts by designing an improved method of teaching English to students with visual impairments. A recent MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) graduate and Columbian Fulbright scholar, Maritza Medina G. faced difficulties as a blind student when learning phonetics. She received a Tinker Field Research Grant from the MSU Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and wanted to conduct her thesis research on phonetics through assistive technology’s universal design.
With this year marking the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Alex’s Great State Race (AGSR), now celebrating the 7th annual event, is a tradition that continues to honor access and opportunity for people with disabilities. Every year, on the eve of the Michigan State University versus University of Michigan football game, Spartan and Wolverine Army ROTC cadets come together to run 64-miles in honor of Alex Powell, a heroic Spartan who sought his cancer treatment at the U-M Hospital.
2020 has been a year marked with uncertainty, however this wasn’t the first time the AGSR Planning Committee has faced challenges!
The Shamrock 5K Run-Walk-Roll is an annual event that takes place on St. Patrick’s Day Weekend. Facilitated by Tower Guard, the sophomore honor society that serves the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD), the Shamrock 5k has traditionally been the largest fundraising event the group holds for the RCPD each year.
Tradition is a foundation of Michigan State University. Despite all the uncertainty, cancelled events, and difficult times of the past few months, the MSU Homecoming tradition remains an important facet of the Spartan experience. For the past 70 years, having the opportunity to represent MSU as a member of the Homecoming Court has been considered one of the highest honors for graduating seniors. The members of the 2020-2021 Homecoming Court were carefully selected from a highly qualified group of candidates and we are excited to share three special individuals with the Spartan community – Jasmine J., Kellie W., and Jordan P.
Neman H. credits much of his success at MSU to the MSU/MRS Bosco Careers Collaborative. Neman had interest in taking the LSAT and eventually pursuing his law degree and was referred to the Careers Collaborative for assistance meeting his career goals. Neman worked with the MRS Counselor on resume writing, setting himself up for success, learning about resources available to him, assistance with the LSAT, career preparation and help with job prospects.
Every year, many MSU students look forward to spending their summer break attending an Education Abroad program, visiting exciting new countries, and learning about different cultures and languages. This year, however, the COVID-19 pandemic caused all education abroad trips to be canceled or postponed. One MSU student, Elaine P., however, did not allow her summer plans to be rearranged.
As RCPD Assistant Director for Assistive Technology Innovation, Leslie Johnson oversees an exciting opportunity to enhance the experiences of students, staff, and faculty on campus. Since taking on this role at the beginning of 2020, she has empowered new opportunities for MSU students and employees, using a wide range of technologies to maintain an accessible environment.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the nation have shifted to remote instruction. In order to ensure that students with disabilities retain equal access to the same content as their peers, it is vital that online environments remain just as accessible as the physical environments were.
For 48 years, the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) has been maximizing ability and opportunity for members of the Spartan community and beyond. In February 2020, RCPD was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating decades of creativity supporting community advancement and leadership in the area of diversity. This award was presented to RCPD Director Michael Hudson and staff during the MSU Excellence in Diversity Awards (EIDA) program sponsored by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.
Every year for one week in June, Big Tech titan Apple Inc. hosts the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) showcasing new and innovative technologies for software developers of all skill levels. The event is a chance for attendees to gain early access to the future of iOS through diverse presentations delivered by Apple employees as well as hands-on experience with Apple engineers. One such engineer is Jordyn Castor, an MSU Alumna who began her career at Apple as an intern in 2015 shortly after receiving her undergraduate degree in Computer Science.
As a division that works closely with a wide range of individuals on the MSU campus, the RCPD works to ensure full educational participation for persons with disabilities. There is value in helping students, staff, and faculty identify areas of strength and opportunity so that Team RCPD can correctly accommodate and maximize potential. Towards that goal, the RCPD is proud to announce that Shelby Gombosi will be joining our team of Ability Access Specialists this summer, specializing in Psychiatric Disabilities.
After three and a half years at Michigan State University and with a degree in Professional Writing under her belt, 2020 graduate Jill C. is looking forward to beginning her career. Having utilized the one-on-one guidance and professional preparation offered by the Bosco MSU-MRS Careers Collaborative (CC), she feels confident in her ability to identify jobs that align with her goals, and to navigate the interview process.
The Spartan experience is unique to every individual. Celebrating Homecoming, strolls past Beaumont Tower, and the endless late-night studying all can result in lasting memories, but for most people, the most lasting memory of all is Commencement Day. This year’s unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic shift in how graduation was handled, but even so, Jenna Kesh, a recent MSU Alumna, found that her time at RCPD was the most memorable piece of her Spartan experience.
Every spring, Tower Guard, one of MSU’s oldest active campus-based student organizations, selects an honorary group of students from the top 5 percent of the MSU freshman class to carry on the tradition of assisting the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) in creating a more accessible environment for students with disabilities. These chosen students spend their sophomore year serving on Tower Guard before selecting the next year’s group and passing the torch.
The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities is pleased to announce a brand-new initiative launching Fall 2020: RCPD will provide electronic braille displays to incoming blind students who use braille at no cost to them – the first program of its kind at any university in the United States!
For many, being faced with a life-changing health diagnosis brings uncertainty, but it can also help to positively shift life perspectives and bring about meaningful change. Ariel Dempsey, a graduating MD student from the MSU College of Human Medicine, shared her powerful message of hope, strength, and perseverance at the TEDxMSU Talk at the Wharton Center on Wednesday, March 11th, 2020.
Tower Guard is a sophomore student organization at Michigan State University (MSU) dedicated to serving the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD). Each year, approximately 80 sophomores, selected from the top 5% of the freshman class, carry on the tradition of academic excellence, leadership, outstanding character, and commitment to service. The 2019-2020 Tower Guard class continued to impress the Spartan community with their services. As many of the Tower Guard members balanced rigorous course loads, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, research, and so much more, they were always willing to set aside time to assist MSU students with disabilities.
For many MSU students with disabilities, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a unique set of challenges. Whether that be the enforcement of social distancing or regulated stay-at-home orders, the lives of our Spartans have changed, causing students to embark upon remote learning. For many people, face-to-face interactions create impactful and engaging social encounters that help them thrive on campus, and for some RCPD students, extra guidance beyond the academic and social support available at home has made all the difference.